Navigating Regulatory Landscapes and Amplifying Success Stories: DSA’s New CEO on Advocacy and Industry Growth
Dave Grimaldi is an experienced government relations executive who has worked alongside trailblazing government leaders, corporate and industry visionaries, and entrepreneurial game-changers. Grimaldi has established, branded, and championed the presence of new industries in front of lawmakers and led issue and crisis campaigns for both entrenched and disruptive companies and associations. He has seen the inner workings of Congress and the regulatory process from senior leadership roles and gained strategic insight and awareness on how to navigate Washington, D.C. as an effective and successful advocate. Grimaldi attended Loyola Marymount University and The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
SSN: You have had an extensive career spanning government, regulatory agencies, and major corporate advocacy roles. What led you to take on this new role as CEO of the Direct Selling Association?
Dave Grimaldi: Washington, D.C. has been home my entire life. I went to college in Los Angeles, where I was an ACN rep during my freshman and sophomore years. The extra income enabled me to afford a car lease, which I failed to realize was a necessity for living in L.A.
After college and law school, I landed on Capitol Hill, working as a senior staff member for a congressman who served on the Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives, which has jurisdiction over telecommunications, trade, media, and energy. This is where I got my first exposure to the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission—both of which fall under the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction.
From there I moved to the office of Rep. Jim Clyburn, who was the Majority Whip of the House, followed by my time as Chief of Staff to an FCC commissioner. These experiences were invaluable toward understanding the legislative and regulatory landscape in D.C., and how all of the pieces fit together.
After my second child was born, I left the government to open the Washington presence for Pandora streaming radio. From there, I entered the association world, first as the head of the Washington office for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), representing companies like Facebook, Disney, CBS, Google, and Twitter, followed by the Blockchain Association, helping to grow it from a handful of companies to over 100 members. After the collapse of FTX, the industry has since rebounded to become a global financial and digital juggernaut, especially in the eyes of lawmakers and regulators.
What’s kept me moving through Washington is my ability to problem-solve, find consensus, and legitimately listen to every perspective. You must be able to speak to and resonate with widely varying audiences. I don’t know how you can be an effective advocate or industry leader without those abilities.
SSN: The direct selling industry has long faced reputation challenges. From your perspective, where does the industry stand now, and what steps can be taken to improve public perception?
DG: I want to preface this by acknowledging my newness to the channel. The first thing I want to do is to listen and learn. I want to listen to every segment of the channel, older visionaries, and entrepreneurs who are true believers in the defenders of direct selling.
I want to help refresh the reputation of DSA and take stock of where it stands today in the eyes of the channel and the eyes of regulators and lawmakers. I want to understand what’s working and what’s not.
I think when you have people saying negative things about direct sellers, you must push back on it. I don’t know if the full power of the channel has been unleashed in terms of what our success stories are. I want to enhance and increase the digital presence of the channel and the DSA’s members.
I want to make sure that the data, insights, and thought leadership we’re producing are known, seen, listened to, digested, and exposed. I want to create long-term sustainability. I’m coming from an industry where we did precisely that and weathered an enormous market crisis. I want to bring everything that I’ve learned to this role.
I enjoy learning about people, learning about their successes, and hearing about hard work and determination. I think that that is what the channel and anyone in the direct selling business is built on—grit, determination, a desire to do more and earn more. And to do it by personality and performance.
SSN: Regulation and policy play a significant role in direct selling. Given your experience with regulatory agencies and Congress, how do you plan to navigate this landscape for the industry?
DG: The major thing I want to do here is to keep regulatory threats away from what I already consider the small engines of the American economy. It’s an interesting time with a new administration in the executive branch that wants to break down regulatory barriers. We must be aware that D.C. swings back and forth every voting cycle.
There are those in the Democratic Party who are very, very pro-consumer for all the right reasons, but sometimes there are unintended consequences to running too fast with pro-consumer ideas and legislation.
For example, with the blockchain association, we encountered many lawmakers who could not see past the talking point about bad actors using crypto. Through education, myth-busting, and validating the concerns behind those comments, we were able to change opinions and give clarity, while preserving national security and pro-consumer ideals.
My time in government and regulatory agencies has given me a deep understanding of how policies are shaped and implemented, and how consensus is built and maintained. From my experience at the FCC, I saw how a congressionally passed statute navigates its way through the regulatory process. It informs my understanding of the FTC, a different agency but similar in every regard, in terms of the commission structure, how the leadership works and how each bureau works.
We have to keep the success stories, personal anecdotes, and economic power of the channel in front of lawmakers and must showcase and celebrate the power and breadth of our sellers, distributors, visionaries, and individual entrepreneurs. I plan to utilize any media, digital outlet, shoe leather advocacy, and the entire messaging toolkit. I understand how crucial it is to maintain proactive engagement with policymakers rather than reacting after the fact.
I believe a digital presence on X will place us where Congress and staffers are—as well as certain political trade press and blogs. I know we can amplify DSA and its members’ stories and entrepreneurs through X and other social channels. It’s a careful balance, and I am confident we can be a part of the conversation and play an important role in adding value to the economic stories and separating fact from fiction.
SSN: Given your background in blockchain and crypto advocacy, do you see any parallels between those industries and direct selling? How can lessons from your previous work inform your approach here?
DG: There are very close analogies between direct selling and what I saw with blockchain and crypto. In crypto, it was Web 3.0 and the ownership economy—you own your little piece of the internet, be it an NFT, a token, etc.
Similarly, in direct selling, your business is what you make it. You run on your own steam. Your power of personality, your drive and your performance are what determine your success. I think that is truly, perfectly and quintessentially American.
I’m bringing all the skills and abilities from my previous experience to this role, and while it is very different from some of the things I have seen and accomplished, it is also very similar. We weathered an enormous market crisis with FTX, and I want to bring everything that I learned to this industry to create long-term sustainability.
SSN: How do you plan to strengthen the DSA’s advocacy efforts and relationships with lawmakers?
DG: Like I said before, one thing that has kept me moving through Washington is my ability to problem-solve, find consensus, and listen legitimately to every perspective. I realized early on if someone is fired up and making a passionate point, you can never discount it. There is a reason they’re doing it and you should take the time to listen. And I think that that’s going to be prevalent in the channel as I talk to more and more people.
I’ve become an effective advocate, storyteller, and corporate evangelist because I have worked hard to achieve credibility and respect on both sides of the aisle. Like I said before, I believe the key to success here is the ability to speak to and resonate with many different groups.
We will need to continue sharing success stories, the relevance of an ecosystem, an industry, and a segment of the economy in front of lawmakers. I would love to just sit at the arrival gate at National Airport here in D.C. and meet direct sellers as they come off the plane to walk around the House and do this.
It’s essential because as I said, in two years we could see this swing back and consumer protection Democrats—again, great people with their hearts in the right place—could unleash a torrent of rulemakings that have unintended consequences, that seek to go outside what a congressionally passed statute intended and interpret it in a way that’s harmful to the channel. And I don’t want to let that happen.
